Last week The American Lawyer published a column by Steven Harper (“The Intractable Crisis in Legal Education”), in which Harper confronted two responses to a widely read op-ed he wrote recently for The New York Times. Below is a letter to The American Lawyer from Jeremy Paul, the dean of Northeastern University School of Law, challenging Harper's assertions, followed by Harper's reply.

I am pleased that my letter to The New York Times provoked a response by Steven Harper in The American Lawyer. We now see clearly how those dissatisfied with U.S. law schools are more interested in winning arguments than achieving reform.

Mr. Harper starts by inventing a frame that all who challenge his perspective are wedded to the status quo. But at Northeastern, we are not resisting change. We are leading it. Our unrivalled co-op program provides every student with nearly a full year of practice experience prior to graduation. Our first-year curriculum includes yearlong team projects in which students learn skills such as project management by tackling real problems facing social justice organizations. Our NuLawLab is working closely with legal services organizations to design technological solutions to offer affordable options for those lacking access to justice. And we are partnering with Boston College and Boston University in an incubator to train graduates to represent those of more modest means.